what's the story, morning glory?
by BittersweetSonata
Summary: Or, the one where Lucy Heartfilia joins SHIELD and is forced to babysit the most destructive hero in the history of like, ever. (And it's not a fairy tale, but it's definitely something.) —natsu ო lucy
1. origins of a girl beginnings of an agent

**notes: **what to write here, hmm. i'm actually pretty excited about this. also, things might not be incredibly accurate because i think i have seen about three episodes of _marvel: agents of s.h.i.e.l.d._ in total, so. i'll try though. it's a pretty cool show, you should watch it.

**pairings: **natsu ო lucy, gray ო juvia, gajeel ო levy, jellal ო erza, and other possible pairings

**dedication: **to no one in particular.

**disclaimer: **own nothing.

_**please note:** _this is not a crossover.

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_this little bluebird won't come here anymore, _

_so i went looking for her, and found you_

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Lucy Heartfilia is one of the top ten graduates from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Training Academy. It's completely different from any other graduation ceremony that she's ever attended, or been a part of. There are no caps, no gowns, no diplomas—but that's okay. She stands tall and proud in her skin-tight black suit, and watches her fellow 'classmates' from her peripheral vision. It's _so _hard to keep from smiling, because even though she graduated from an all-girls private academy and then one of the best colleges in the country with full honors, this is different. It's not a feeling she can accurately describe—something like happiness, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment all at once.

It's dizzying and makes her feel higher than Mount Hokabe, but she holds it in.

The graduation 'ceremony' passes by in a blur, and soon her fellow newly instated agents are congratulating each other. Phrases like, '_we actually made it_' and '_so what do you think is next?_' go over her head and they sound dull and faraway because suddenly all the blood is rushing to her ears, making it hard to hear anything else. The realization strikes her for what seems like the very first time, and her heart beats a thousand miles an hour in her chest.

She is no longer Lucy Heartfilia, S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee, but Lucy Heartfilia, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a wide smile finds its way to her pretty face. Because, for real, like, _how frickin' cool is that_?

(About that black suit that hugs her body in admittedly all the right places, though.)

The blonde smiles at the celebrating agents around her, and leans against the wall. She should be celebrating too, or at least that's what a little voice in the back of her mind informs her, but she doesn't. Instead she wonders, what's next? Most of the people around her will get transferred—to where, she doesn't know, but it's bound to happen. And what about her? She could be transferred from Clover too, and she could end up anywhere. Bosco, even.

She cringes. She doesn't exactly prefer bitter winters, temperatures that drop below zero, and snow all year round.

It's not her choice, though. They are just newbies, after all. They get orders and they follow them dutifully. No one will get sent out on job right away—you have to earn respect, and a position, first. The Academy was the easy part, and it's all uphill from here on out.

But she chose this—or rather, she was _recruited_ for this job—and Lucy Heartfilia is not the type of person to back down from a challenge. She is tough, intelligent, beautiful, and she can be deadly—the perfect femme fatale, and she can handle herself. She doesn't have to worry about the future, because she can take everything life throws her way.

Someone choking on their laughter draws her attention back to her surroundings. Everyone has gone strangely still, and hushed whispers are tossed back and forth between green agents. The blonde blinks, wondering what could possibly make such a rowdy group so quiet.

And then, she sees it.

A glimpse of scarlet between crowded shoulders. The small mob falls into a complete hush and then parts.

Lucy's eyes widen, and she stumbles forward in attempt to straighten her position.

She is greeted with the sight of long scarlet hair, a perfectly ironed navy blazer and pencil skirt paired with a ruffled white blouse, and heels that look as if they could double as weapons. A perfect description of Agent Erza Scarlet—better known as Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

The woman had earned her title a few years before Lucy had joined the Academy, but the blonde knew her story. Erza Scarlet was a _legend, _and had been since she had taken down one hundred unidentifiable beasts seven years prior. Her legacy didn't stop there though, in fact, it was just the beginning. Most of the work the woman did and most of the cases she was assigned to were classified, otherwise known as way beyond Lucy's clearance level. But there were rumors, and they all proved that Erza Scarlet was a terrifying woman indeed.

On a lighter note, she was the head of Magnolia's sector of S.H.I.E.L.D., which had at some point been dubbed as Fairy Tail, hence the 'Queen of the Fairies' part of her title. Word was, everyone who worked with her feared her.

And here she is, in the flesh.

Lucy Heartfilia can take whatever life throws at her—all except _that. _

Suddenly, the clicking of heels against the floor stops. "I'm looking for a Lucy Heartfilia. I was told that she would be graduating from the Academy today."

Said blonde freezes, and all eyes turn to her. Everyone takes a step back, leaving a clear path through the middle of the room, with Lucy at the very center. She blanches.

Erza Scarlet takes a step forward. "Miss Heartfilia, I presume?"

"Erm—yes. I…I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

She has to force herself to resist the urge to fidget.

The great Titania doesn't smile, nor is there any trace of warmth in her voice. She is completely stern and professional. This terrifies Lucy. "Congratulations. You've been chosen for a special assignment on the orders of Director Dreyar. We leave in an hour, so please collect your things and meet me at the bridge as soon as possible."

Wait.

_What? _

"I-I'm sorry, _what_?" one of her fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. graduates speaks out. Somewhere in the far recesses of her mind, Lucy registers that the voice belongs to Sting Eucliffe. A smart—more like smart_ass_—blond with a tendency to lash out at people. Also, he used to hit on her at least twice a day.

Lucy is too stunned to even care.

Erza turns her head slightly in his direction, and she is all cold calculating glares and stern almond eyes. "Is there a problem, Mr. Eucliffe?"

Sting looks terrified as he shakes his head rapidly back and forth. "N-no ma'am!"

"Good. Come along then, Agent Heartfilia. This is something that's rather time sensitive."

Erza turns on her dangerous heel and proceeds to walk out of the room. Lucy gulps and numbly follows along after her, the hall and its inhabitants spinning before her eyes.

Maybe because a situation like this is almost unheard of, or maybe because she is still scared out of her wits.

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Erza stands by the rather imposing jet that is ready to fly them back to Magnolia, or wherever it is they're going. Lucy drags her luggage consisting of three suitcases piled on top of each other across the tarmac and onto the ramp. The legendary Titania nods at her, and slips into the back of the plane with as much grace as a ballerina. Lucy stumbles along behind like a drunken sailor.

Once they are inside, and the door is closed, Erza gives Lucy a smile. "I apologize if I startled or frightened you earlier, Agent Heartflia."

Lucy blinks, and laughs weakly. "Er, it's okay."

"I want to brief you on your assignment before we arrive in Magnolia." the scarlet-haired woman snaps her fingers and beckons someone forward.

A young man that looks to be around Lucy's age steps out of the shadows, and the blonde's eyes widen. He has dark messy hair, pale skin, and his eyes remind her of a night without stars. He gives her an easy, relaxed grin and a casual wave as he hands Erza a thick file.

"So you're Heartfilia, huh?"

Lucy will never admit out loud that his voice sounds smooth and rich and gravelly at the same time, or that it made her shiver. Instead, she smiles. "I am."

Mystery guy smirks as Erza leafs through the file. "Cool. I'm Gray, by the way. Gray Fullbuster."

She takes in his white button up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the black slacks he wears, and raises a brow. "So…are you an agent too?"

He grins. "Somethin' like that, yeah."

"Alright, listen closely Agent Heartfilia." Erza speaks up as the plane prepares to take off. "You were chosen for this assignment because of your high marks that earned you a spot among the elite of the Academy, but also because you happen to possess an amazing amount of patience."

Lucy raises a brow. "Excuse my interruption but, what does my patience have to do with this?"

Gray covers a laugh with a cough, and Erza narrows her eyes at him. "Yes, well, getting to that shortly. Director Dreyar and I went through several assessments before choosing you, but none of them showed the sort of traits and skills that you seem to possess."

The blonde waits, arms and legs crossed.

"You have heard of Salamander, haven't you Agent Heartfilia?" the scarlet-haired woman questions.

Lucy does a mental check, although she doesn't have to. She may or may not have a slight obsession with superheroes, so she also may or may not have read up on everything she possibly could that concerned Salamander back at the Academy. And even before that she might have kept tabs on him.

Salamander, the hero who was rumored to breathe fire and hold it in his hand without being burned. Salamander, the hero who was rarely actually ever _sighted, _rather was known by the trail of chaos he left in his wake. Salamander, the guy who was considered one of the most destructive heroes ever known to man. Salamander, the hero was also rumored to be incredibly handsome.

Okay yeah, maybe she did know a _little _bit about him.

"Yeah, I've heard of him. Why?"

Erza sends Gray what Lucy interprets as a small nervous smile. "Your assignment, Agent Heartfilia, is to accompany Salamander and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"You want me to babysit him." Lucy deadpans, feeling all her importance leave her.

The other woman smiles sheepishly. "Well, when you put it that way, yes. But don't worry, Lucy. You'll get plenty of action, as well as other cases to work on. I know it sounds rather simple, but I promise it will get exciting soon enough."

Lucy smiles. "If you say so."

"Trust her on this one. She isn't lying." Gray sends a half-smirk her way, and Lucy wonders exactly just what he means.

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She finds out about exactly two minutes after she steps out of the jet and onto the roof of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in Magnolia.

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**end notes: **natsu will come in _next chapter_.


	2. better the second time around

**notes: **remember when we were five and things were so much simpler? i miss those days. **  
dedication:** to liz and shado, my two partners in crime and all that is marvel. cheers to you guys.  
**disclaimer: **own nothing

**in other news: **please take note that this is an _interconnected drabble series _that may actually develop some plot along the way.

**title: **better the second time around**  
summary: **Lucy Heartfilia meets the legendary Salamander, only to discover she's met him once before.

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_let's not make it harder than it has to be_

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Lucy closes her eyes and breathes in the fresh Magnolia air. The town was one that she'd wanted to move to when she had been younger—while she still held her dream of becoming a famous author. SHIELD's headquarters in Magnolia are located in a discreet area, but she can see the tops of colorful buildings from her spot above the trees.

"Welcome to Magnolia's SHIELD division, Agent Heartfilia," Erza Scarlet sends a small smile her way and hands Lucy a manila envelope. "This will be your new home from now on."

The blonde stares down at the thick and somewhat heavy package in her hands. "What—,"

She is effectively cut off when the door to the roof slams open, and everything goes silent for a moment.

Lucy uses this opportunity to take a good look at the agent standing a few hundred yards away from them. He is tall and has a shock of bright orange and untamed hair. She resists the urge to snicker, because it reminds her of a lion's mane.

The man is probably a year or two older than her, with a light complexion and a bright smile that quickly morphs into a look of horror at the sight of them. His eyes are hidden behind blue sunglasses, but she suspects that they're a dark shade. His sleek black suit is neatly pressed, and his red tie is perfectly straight and Lucy can't help but think that he's like the poster boy of SHIELD.

And that maybe she's seen him before, just less…sheet white.

His eyes slowly trail from Gray, to her, and finally Erza. He freezes.

Then suddenly he turns on his heel and bolts back through the door, and she hears shouting and panicked voices.

There is a long pause before Lucy turns to Gray, who looks strangely smug.

"Am I…missing something? And, what exactly is in this envelope?"

He gives her a half-smirk, and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Survival tips, sweetheart. Y'know, if you wanna live through your first day and any assignments that may follow."

The blonde blinks, having absolutely no idea how to respond.

Gray tugs at the collar of his shirt, like he isn't even aware of what he's doing. "And also some stuff about your first assignment as an agent. The one you were handpicked for and all." he sighs. "Damn, I feel sorry for you, having to be around _that _hothead twenty-four seven."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I—,"

The door is opened again, this time with much more force, and Lucy promptly clamps her mouth shut. The three turn toward the sound of stomping, and the blonde notices the helicopter pilots scramble away from her peripheral vision.

"GRAY, YOU FRICKIN' ASSHOLE!"

And that is how Lucy's first meeting with her 'new and not to mention first assignment' goes.

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Whatever Lucy is expecting Salamander to be like, he isn't.

All her heroic visions of an albeit stereotypical superhero crumble and break into a million pieces the moment she meets him. The stars full of childhood fantasies in her eyes shatter and slip away, leaving wisps of dreamdust and traces of a hopeful little girl in their wake.

It is her second letdown of the day, and she feels ridiculously disappointed. She really had no idea what to expect when she was informed only a few minutes prior that her 'classified, eyes only' assignment was just to babysit a destructive hero, but she still had some ideas in her mind of what it would be like.

Those are immediately stamped upon and tossed out the window when she is actually introduced to her new 'charge.'

Salamander—whose real name is Natsu Dragneel—is nothing like she expected and she really has no idea what to do. He's loud and possesses the manners of a neandrathal and is more of a pyromaniac rather than an acclaimed hero.

She has to admit though, he's extremely handsome and slightly exotic. His personality seems to match his bright and messy rosy hair, and she realizes that if anyone was to actually ever see him as Salamander, they'd be able to pick him out from among a crowd in a snap. She can't see him in a cowl or a mask or anything like that, and the thought leaves a strangely sour taste on her tongue.

He's strong, and she can tell that just by looking at him from a hundred feet away. His muscles are well-defined and most likely drool-worthy, but she pushes that particular thought away before she wanders into dangerous territory. He's shorter than Gray is, but while the dark-haired 'something like that' is pale, Natsu is tan—like he just came back from a week at the beach.

His jaw is firm and set, and anyone who looks at it can tell that he's strong. His dark eyes radiate confidence and laughter, and they burn like embers. His grin is wide and almost blinding at times, and his teeth look sharp and more like fangs then anything.

He looks familiar, but she can't figure out why.

"Who the hell are you?" he questions, looking straight at her, once they are actually inside headquarters and seated around a table in some kind of meeting room.

Erza slaps him upside the head without ever losing her composure. "That is no way to talk to Agent Heartfilia. Especially since she'll be spending so much time with you from now on. It's best if you two get along."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asks harshly, rubbing the back of his head.

Gray begins unbuttoning his shirt, much to Lucy's discomfort. "We've been over this how many times now, flame-brain? She's like your chaperone."

Lucy wants to crawl under the table and never come out.

"What the hell do I need one of those for?"

Erza picks up a pen and begins to sign off on some documents, seemingly unaffected by Natsu's attitude and discontent. "Well, after that last incident with Erigor and Lullaby, Director Makarov decided we needed someone to oversee you and make sure you don't do too much damage. Because while you may remember taking out a terrorist and stopping him from killing half the population of Fiore, all the Director can remember is the half of Clover's protected forests you burned down while doing so."

So she was damage control now, huh?

Natsu scowls and slides down in his seat. "Yeah well, what else did you want me to do?"

"There are better ways to handle such matters." Erza straightened the papers and handed them to an agent standing nearby. "Anyway, I believe you two have met before. The Hargeon Port incident, am I correct? You were chosen specifically because of that. I guess you could also say that was the moment SHIELD decided to recruit you as an agent. It was really a defining moment, Agent Heartfilia."

Lucy takes a few moments to go through her memories and personal accounts in search of any information regarding Natsu Dragneel having been with her during the Hargeon Port fiasco.

"That was _you_?!" she screeches, pointing an accusing finger at the startled man sitting across from her.

Gray watches in amusement. "You two fought together or something, right? I heard about that. Too bad I wasn't there to see it."

Erza nods, and Lucy groans and drops her head into her hands. It all made so much sense now. The Hargeon Port incident had been close to three years ago, and honestly she hadn't really given it much thought until now because of everything that had happened _since then. _

"Wait…_Luigi_?!" Natsu's jaw drops and he points at her.

The blonde's head snaps back up and she glares defiantly at him. "It's _Lucy_, idiot! L-U-C-Y!"

Perhaps she should toss one of her boots at him for good measure.

Gray sits back in his chair and grins lazily at Erza. "This should be interesting."

The scarlet-haired woman only nods in agreement.

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**end notes: **hargeon is their budapest.


	3. looks like a new transition

**notes:** oh look. i updated something.  
**more notes: **my little sister has been playing r5 over and over and over and they're so friggin _catchy. why.  
_**dedication: **in hopes that one day this will become a legit story and i can stop naming every chapter and coming up with a summary for each one as well. 

**title: **looks like a new transition **  
summary: **Lucy decides it's high time to get her own place. Stuff happens.

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_and it goes like this_

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It takes Lucy approximately three days to figure out that these people are insane.

And Lucy has seen a lot of insane things, _okay. _

There are no words to describe what she witnesses in her two weeks of living at Magnolia's Headquarters, and she is frequently plagued with thoughts and doubts of how this sector of SHIELD is one of the greatest and strongest.

(_And most destructive, _she remembers reading somewhere in a few documents from a redacted file not open to the public. It was a _dare, _okay, and Lucy Heartfilia did not back down from dares given by impudent swine—read also, _Sting fucking Eucliffe, _who is admittedly her friend, but. So yes. She has broken into the Academy's record room around two in the morning. _They don't call her top of the class and 'Lucky Lucy' for nothing, children._)

So, after fourteen days of constant arguing, things like heavy metal tables being thrown to and fro like _Frisbees_, having to room with a consumptive drunkard and a terrifying monstrosity with an affinity for water, sleeping down the hall from the incarnation of doom and high authority herself, and _no forms of organization and propriety whatsoever, _she decided it was high time to get a place of her own and get the hell out of Dodge.

She likes everyone, don't get her wrong—okay so _maybe not_ Aquarius because the woman is scary as hell—but she needs her own space.

Which she finds in a small but charming cottage on Strawberry Street.

Lucy doesn't mind paying rent so much if it means she can have her own place to come home to after a long day of work. And that's really saying something because she likes to keep her money close to her. Also because she's maybe a cheapskate, but.

From what Lucy can tell upon first meeting, her new soon-to-be landlady is a greedy tyrant who hordes Butterfinger wrappers and uses too much cheap perfume. She also wears a _live _ferret around her neck which she croons over and calls in an annoying, superficial mother-to-baby voice, '_shnukums.' _

This beady-eyed person takes it upon herself to show the blonde her 'perfect new home', and so they go on a tour. There's a wide entryway, a kitchen with nice appliances, and a comfortable living room on the first floor, and Lucy knows immediately that she's in love.

But.

As the overweight woman huffs and puffs up the steep stairs to the second floor, Lucy considers her options in life and contemplates on people's morals. She's just looking for a cheap but nice place to stay while she's on assignment in Magnolia. This cute cottage is perfect—it fits within her budget due to monthly rent, it's nice and clean and cozy, is located in a relatively safe neighborhood (she doesn't want to be robbed after coming home from a long day supervising a destructive hero and saving the world, thank you very much), and is right in front of a lovely canal.

It would give her the peace and quiet that she so desperately needs after a long day at work, as well. There is but one problem.

Obtaining the permission to move off HQ and into civilian territory. And to do that, she'll need a flawless cover story and a visit to Director Dreyar.

Which she is not looking forward to in the least.

"So," her maybe-landlady begins, flipping some of her dyed hair behind her back, "what do you think?"

Lucy glances around the second floor—a spacious bedroom with a balcony covered in roses, a bathroom with an _unbelievable tub, _a walk-in closet, and an extra guest room—and swallows the lump lodged in her throat.

She smiles.

"Um, can I get back to you tomorrow?"

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Director Makarov Dreyar regards Lucy with narrowed eyes, his fingers interlocked, hands resting neatly on the desktop. He looks completely composed, her on the other hand…

"So, Miss Heartfilia," he raises a brow, "you're here to request a transfer off-sight and permission to live in Magnolia, am I correct?"

Lucy is in the process of sweating bullets. "E-erm, yes sir."

A pause.

Then—

"Why, you should have asked sooner!" Makarov throws his hands in the air. "This place'll and the people in it'll drive you up the wall! I'm surprised you made it this long, Heartfilia. Heaven knows you've got some miraculous kind of patience and endurance."

"E-ex…cuse me?"

The elderly man grins at her. "Not _all _of the Academy graduates that are assigned here are able to stay. Rather, I should say that _they _can't find it in themselves to stay. Do you know how many transfer requests I've received in the past few years? I guess that's the price that comes with being this _specific _branch of SHIELD. Ya gotta be able to handle anything. They weren't."

The blonde gapes at him.

"You're a smart one, Heartfilia. Top of your class, so it would only be logical that you were chosen for this position and sent here. Of course, if you didn't have those traits I mentioned earlier, you probably would've only made it a month, two tops. Just like all the others. Then we'd have a _real _shitstorm upon us. _Someone's _gotta keep that Salamander in line, and Erza and myself can't do it all the time. I think you'll really do well here, Miss Heartfilia. People'll warm up to you in no time."

Lucy has no words left.

"Oh. What about that request? You're moving to Strawberry Street, am I right? Nice place. You have to keep up your sanity somehow. I'll have Miss McGarden work up a cover for you and—Agent Heartfilia?"

_What have I gotten myself into, _she thinks.

And so, SHIELD Agent Lucy Heartfilia becomes art director Lucy Ashley in a few simple keystrokes thanks to the help of genius intelligence analyst Levy McGarden. Lucy has to admit, she's a pretty cool—and mentally stable—person and they may have just become best friends for life.

"I'm not going to give you some lame cover story—I'm going to make it interesting." the blunette announces as she hands Lucy a thick envelope with her new cover—name, birth certificate, occupation, and new persona in whole. "I kept as much of 'Lucy Heartfilia' as I could, so don't worry. You're not a _completely _different person."

The blonde smiles at her new friend and looks down at the manila envelope. "I have a meeting with someone in an hour and a half." she smiles. "Guess I'd better read up on my personal history, huh?"

Levy grins.

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_Home at last, _Lucy closes her eyes and smiles to herself once all is said and done.

Suspiciously, once her _respected _landlady learned she was an art director, her rent went up to seventy-five thousand jewels. _Ridiculous, _the agent thinks to herself and snorts.

It takes her a week or so to move in—not like she had that much stuff in the first place but _hello, _she needed like a _hella ton of stuff okay_. Kitchen appliances and tools, towels, furniture, and so on and so forth are all put nicely in their place. The boxes that aren't yet unpacked are stacked neatly in a corner, just waiting to be opened.

Lucy mentally congratulates herself and decides to go out and get food to celebrate. Because she is starving and also needs to go grocery shopping due to her refrigerator being completely empty. That just won't do, so she grabs her keys and purse, and then she's out the door.

When she returns three or four hours later, unlocking her door and stepping inside, things seem perfectly normal at first.

Then she steps into the living room—

"Lucy, hey!"

—and is greeted with the sight of Natsu, Gray, and even the _friggin' Titania herself_ seated on her sofa, watching a movie on her television.

She lets out a screech when something brushes up against her bare leg—freedom from the damned black suit _at last_—and looks down to see a _blue cat rubbing up against her leg. _

"THE HELL?!"

The blonde staggers back, grocery bags swaying and almost throwing her off balance. "WHERE DID THAT THING COME FROM?! I DON'T OWN A CAT! HOW DID YOU THREE FIND ME, LET ALONE GET _IN _HERE?!" she thrusts an accusing finger at the guilty parties lounging on her sofa.

Erza flicks some of her flaming hair over her shoulder. "Level Four security clearance, Lucy."

Gray grins lazily at her—with just a small side of dangerous intent. "Why have it if you can't use it?"

She—_Lucy Heartfilia_—was considered _Level Four_? As in, the level above Top Secret? _Something that wasn't even supposed to exist. _

Well damn.

She didn't exactly know what to do with that information.

"And this is Happy," Natsu corrects her, holding up the small bundle of blue fur and what she's sure is malicious intent that makes up the cat. "Not 'that thing.'"

Lucy narrows her eyes at him, and turns to Gray. "Whatever. Isn't that called, of I don't know—_abusing your power_?"

He shrugs in his 'I-am-not-a-SHIELD-agent-so-what-the-hell-does-it-matter' way. "Okay so maybe it's Erza's security clearance, what of it?"

In the extent of her two week experience of being an agent, Lucy has also learned that Gray Fullbuster is not an agent like herself, but rather an 'affiliate' of SHIELD's. Meaning that he's like Natsu—what one would call a 'superhero.' And he does not give a damn about procedure, much to most of the new cadets and also analysts' chagrin.

And probably Director Dreyar, but he wasn't ever as destructive as Natsu except when fighting _with _Natsu, so.

Lucy narrows her eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Anyway Lucy," Erza cuts in before Gray can reply, "you have a very lovely home. I admire your taste in decoration."

The blonde sighs. _Still doesn't explain how you even got _in _here. _"Thank you, I am supposed to be an art director after all. So I figured I should probably look the part."

Erza nods. "Yes, yes."

Natsu throws an arm over the back of the couch. "C'mere Luce. Did you bring nachos?"

Lucy feels her blood pressure rising, but gets corralled into sitting and watching the rest of the movie—only _after _making nachos and salsa—and then she begins to relax. These people are trespassers, but they're her friends so.

"GRAY. DON'T HOG ALL THE TORTILLA CHIPS YOU ICY BASTARD."

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?! AND DON'T YOU FUCKING DOUBLE DIP!"

Lucy doesn't turn her eyes away from the tv, but the very air around her turns terrifying. "_Shut the hell up and share, you ignorant morons. I can't hear." _

She isn't looking to see the outcome, but the two bickering heroes quickly return to not speaking. Erza smiles to herself, and mumbles lowly, "I can see why they chose you, Lucy."

_to be continued..._

_—_

**end notes: **the '_terrifying monstrosity with an affinity for water' _mentioned in this chapter is aquarius, jsyk. _not _juvia. she'll come in later though. now yes. natsu and lucy will end up together (spoiler alert, like it's _such a big one i know_) just not right now. it is called _relationship progression okay. _


End file.
